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  1. Home
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  3. Facilities Maintenance Management and Cleaning

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Facilities maintenance management and cleaning 

Whether it's an office, a large industrial site, or a high-traffic retail venue, effective maintenance management and cleaning of your facilities is crucial to ensure their safety, performance, and appearance. 
 
So what does maintenance management entail and how to tailor best practices to your facility's needs? We’ve got you covered with all the basics, as well as with product recommendations for streamlined and effective maintenance and cleaning processes.
 

What is facilities maintenance management?

Facilities maintenance management is all about the upkeep and repair of commercial buildings’ equipment, systems, protocols, and infrastructure. This includes: 
  • Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
  • Electrical systems and lighting
  • Fire safety systems (such as safety equipment and safety signage)
  • Painting and decorating
  • Plumbing
  • Cleaning
  • General compliance with building regulations and industry standards
  • Pest control
  • Landscaping and grounds
  • Handling noise complaints
  • Building-specific assets (for example, medical equipment in healthcare settings)
  • Capital assets (like special devices and research equipment)
 
Ultimately, the goal of facility maintenance management is to ensure the smooth operation of your business without major disruption while also providing a safe working environment. 
 

What are the types of facilities maintenance management?

Facilities maintenance management can be broken down into four types, each requiring different actions and strategies to address maintenance tasks.
 
The four types of facility maintenance are:

1. Corrective maintenance 

Corrective maintenance (also known as breakdown or reactive maintenance) refers to repairing or replacing equipment or parts of a system after a failure. Faults that require corrective maintenance often need to be resolved very quickly to reduce the impact on your business operations. These could include:
  • Burst water pipes
  • Complete mechanical breakdown/failure of systems
  • Unexpected structural damage

2. Preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance involves technicians running periodic inspections and upkeep work to reduce the likelihood of defects and damage. Part of this process also involves predictive maintenance, which aims to anticipate when equipment might fail in order to perform preventive care. 
 
Examples of preventive maintenance include:
  • Cleaning
  • Lubrication
  • Replacement of parts
  • Minor repairs
  • Conducting building walkthroughs to assess equipment

3. Risk-based maintenance

Risk-based maintenance is the process of prioritizing upkeep for equipment and systems that would pose the largest risk to your business if they were to fail.
Facility systems and assets that require risk-based maintenance often include those that are critical and in short supply, such as delivery trucks, production machinery, and technological solutions, like servers.
 

4. Condition-based maintenance 

Condition-based maintenance takes a more technical and analytical approach. It involves monitoring the condition of equipment and systems to predict when future asset maintenance should be performed. 
 
In order to do this, facilities managers collect data through various condition monitoring techniques, such as:
 
  • vibration analysis (detects issues like imbalances and misalignment through machinery vibrations)
  • oil analysis (examines machines’ oil for contaminants and wear)
  • thermal imaging (detects overheating via infrared cameras)
  • ultrasonic testing (uses sound waves to find internal defects in materials)
This can help identify potential issues before they escalate, protecting important equipment and preventing costly repairs or replacements. 
 
Condition-based maintenance differs from preventive maintenance in that it involves continuous monitoring, then performing the upkeep work when issues arise. Whereas preventive maintenance involves scheduling proactive performance checks and undertake work.
 

Why is facilities maintenance management and cleaning important? 

Facilities management and regular maintenance plays a vital role in the safety of visitors and staff, equipment protection, and daily operations. Implementing an effective strategy means that issues can be either avoided or solved with minor repairs before major or even irreversible damage occurs.  Having strategies such as these in place also ensures compliance with safety regulations. 
 
Other benefits of facility maintenance management include:
 

Minimizing hazards

Routine maintenance and repairs on systems such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC can prevent potential hazards such as fires, leaks, or malfunctions. According to research from the US Fire Administration, over 100,000 commercial building fires occur annually in the US, costing businesses about 2.4 billion dollars per year. [1] You can save yourself from costly and damaging situations by implementing effective facilities maintenance management processes.
 
One example of this is a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan, designed to minimize hazards in the foodservice industry.
 

Reducing staff illness

Don’t forget to look at safety from the hygiene perspective. Regularly cleaning your premises can reduce the risk of staff illness. This can mean fewer sick days as well as increased productivity and efficiency. 
 

Keeping equipment operational and efficient 

When it comes to asset management, preventive, condition-based and risk-based maintenance can ensure that equipment and systems are working at optimal levels. Regular equipment maintenance increases operational efficiency and extends their lifespan, reducing replacement and repair costs as well as unnecessary downtime.
 

Safeguarding a good image 

How your establishment looks sends signals about your company values and the quality of its products or services. Regular upkeep, such as painting and grounds maintenance, conveys to visitors and employees alike that you put great care into everything you do.
 

Enabling a healthier and happier workforce

A facility where accidents and illness are unlikely to happen, equipment runs smoothly, and the premises are clean and inviting, is a place where people will want to work. So, don’t underestimate just how much optimal conditions can attract top talent and boost employee satisfaction and morale.
 

Tips for effective facilities maintenance management and cleaning 

Effective facility maintenance management and cleaning can become a very big task involving several people and even departments. So how to come up with a comprehensive strategy for your facility's specific needs? We’ve got some suggestions to get you started.

1. Create inspection checklists and installation/repair schedules

To practice effective preventive maintenance, checkups and subsequent fixes must take place regularly. Large and complex facilities involve many systems and equipment that require thorough control. Therefore, it is important to create standard inspection checklists and keep track of repairs to ensure the safety of all involved. 
 
Facility managers are responsible for creating these detailed records as well as ensuring facility maintenance workers are thoroughly trained on how to access and use them. 
 
These checklists and schedules should be filed electronically to reduce the risk of missing documents and the margin for human error, ideally using specialized software.
 

2. Invest in a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)

A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is a tool that helps streamline the maintenance process by organizing and tracking all maintenance activities, assets, work orders, and inspections in one centralized system. This can allow facility managers and maintenance teams to improve efficiency, reduce costs and equipment downtime, and carry out preventive maintenance tasks on time. Facility Management Software allows you to easily schedule routine inspections and maintenance tasks and track equipment performance and history.
 
Additionally, CMMS software provides valuable data and insights that can help identify trends, predict equipment failures, and optimize maintenance schedules. This proactive approach to maintenance can prevent costly breakdowns and extend the life of your facility's assets.
 
You can even use this kind of software to manage the hygiene needs in your business using real-time data with the help of Tork Vision Cleaning.
 

3. Ensure proper and effective cleaning

Hygiene and cleaning procedures are crucial for complying with strict health and safety standards in industries such as foodservice and healthcare. Nonetheless, this measure is beneficial for all facilities in general, not only in terms of staff and guests but also equipment. Maintaining a clean environment is essential for the health and safety of all individuals who enter your premises. Establishing and adhering to cleaning and disinfection protocols prevents not only the spread of bacteria and viruses, but also maintains the reputation of your business.
 
On the other hand, regularly removing dust and grease from machinery keeps it working properly, looking in good condition, and can even prevent emergencies such as fires. 
 
Creating deep cleaning schedules and checklists tailored to your facility and ensuring your teams follow them can help create optimal hygiene efficiency.
 

Which cleaning products should be used for facilities maintenance management?

Effective and thorough hand hygiene is the first, crucial step in all industries, healthcare and foodservice in particular. Facility maintenance teams should regularly wash their hands with warm water and hand soap for at least 20 seconds, then dry them with a paper hand towel. As an extra step, hand sanitizer can also be used.  
 
As to which are the correct cleaning products to use, the answer is not straightforward: it depends on the type of facility. For instance, industrial maintenance and cleaning involve the removal of stubborn oil and grease, so a specially designed heavy-duty cleaning cloth will work best. 
 
When it comes to foodservice premises, using food-safe cleaning products is vital. You can spot these types of products by looking for a symbol illustrating a wine glass and a fork on the packaging. Additionally, using special foodservice towels reduces the spread of harmful germs even with multiple uses. 
 
For all other businesses, most surfaces can be cleaned with a simple combination of a multipurpose cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth. 
 

4. Consider sustainability

Commercial buildings consume a lot of electricity (around 35% of USA’s total) and generate considerable carbon dioxide (16% of all CO2 emissions in the US). [2] These two important environmental factors come to show the impact of sustainability practices when it comes to managing maintenance at your facility. 
 

Energy efficiency 

Implementing energy-efficient practices and technologies can significantly reduce your facility's impact on the planet while potentially lowering operating costs. This might include upgrading to LED light bulbs, installing programmable thermostats, and optimizing HVAC systems for maximum efficiency.
 

Water conservation 

Water plays a big role in your sustainability efforts. Simple initiatives like conducting regular leak inspections and using recycled water for non-potable uses can help reduce water consumption and contribute to a more environmentally conscious operation.
 

Waste management

How you handle waste is another critical component of sustainability in facilities maintenance management. Implementing recycling programs, reducing single-use plastics, and properly disposing of hazardous materials are all ways to minimize waste and promote a better balance with nature. 
 
In office environments, in particular, poorly maintained equipment can result in large amounts of electronic waste, also known as e-waste. E-waste contributes around 70% of toxic waste in the US alone. [3] But you can prevent it by properly maintaining equipment and systems. This often extends their life cycles, which means fewer resources end up in landfills and you can save up on costs for new assets.
 
 
 
Managing a well-maintained facility is a complex and ongoing effort. A thorough strategy combined with effective cleaning, regular inspections, and thorough documentation ensures you can run at its best. Try to take it step by step and over time, the effort will be worth it over time.
 
If you want to find out more about improving your facility’s efficiency while raising the hygiene standards, Tork Vision Cleaning might just be what you’re looking for. 

Reference

[3] https://www.4thbin.com/news-events/is-e-waste-making-our-landfills-even-more-toxic